Monday, February 16, 2015

Interview and Giveaway: The Embers of Light by Tammy Farrell



Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.

I was born and raised in Ontario Canada, and for the past five years I’ve been living in Greenville SC (I’m never going back to the snow. NEVER!). I am a historical fantasy/paranormal author (The Dia Chronicles and The Highborn Chronicles) and all of my novels and novellas are written under Tammy Farrell.

Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.

The Embers of Light is the second book in my historical fantasy series The Dia Chronicles. The first three books in this series (the third to be released later this year) is set in sixth century Britain and centers around the remaining descendants of the mythological Tuatha Danann. Embers continues the story of the three main character from book one: Mara, Corbin, and Malcolm, with a greater focus on Malcolm and his journey as he deals with the consequences of his actions in book one. This book is a little darker than the first, and explores themes like atonement, retribution, and the dangers of compassion and power.

Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life?

Of course. I think every writer draws from their own experiences to create stories. In The Dia Chronicles the three main characters are infused with qualities from real people I know or have known, and even though it’s a fantasy novel, some of their struggles deal with true, contemporary issues.

Is there a theme or message in your work that you would like readers to connect to?

While these characters are god-like beings, they’re still young. Most of them are no older than their twenties, and I think their youth is reflected in their reactions to their environment and their powers. I think the main theme of the entire series is reflected in the title of the first book. It’s all about darkness vs. light, and the potential for darkness in us all. Not one of my characters is inherently evil. If they do evil things, they made a conscious choice to do so. And even when they’ve chosen the darkest path possible, there is always a way for them to atone.  

Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?

I think Corbin is my favorite character. My readers know him more as a supporting character to Mara and Malcolm, but he has his own story to tell, and his own challenges to face in the next installment of the series. He’s flawed in that he’s driven more by instinct that logic—a consequence of his age, but as his character develops I think my readers will see him as more of a man with a solid sense of honor and integrity. Plus, he’s sexy as hell. J

If this book is part of a series…what is the next book? Any details you can share?

The next book in The Dia Chronicles: The Ruins of Light is set to release later this year. While book one had a focus on Mara, and book two had a focus on Malcolm, book three will be about Corbin and his journey. Unlike the first two novels which alternated point of view between the three main characters, book three is mainly through Corbin’s eyes as he learns who he really is and discovers his purpose in the grand scheme of the Dia Dynasty. Right now I can say that book three is my favorite of the chronicles so far.

What is next for you? Do you have any scheduled upcoming releases or works in progress?

I currently have another series called The Highborn Chronicles which is a historical paranormal novella series set in Tudor England, and some parts of the story are even set right in King Henry VIII’s court. The first two novellas are The Lycan Master, and The Lycan Lord. Both are available now. And the third, The Lycan Lady will be released later this month.

What book are you reading now?

Right now I’m reading Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon. I’m in LOVE with Jamie. He’s probably one of the best heroes ever written.

What is in your to read pile?

I’m trying to read every Bernard Cornwell book I can get my hands on. There’s a few J.R. Ward books I have on deck. And I’m trying to finish the Phillipa Gregory’s Darkness series.

Thank you for having me on the blog. J


The Embers of Light
The Dia Chronicles
Volume 2
Tammy Farrell

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Publisher: Tammy Farrell

Date of Publication: Jan 28th, 2015

ISBN: -13:  978-1505434989
ISBN-10: 150543498X
ASIN: B00P6KCA6G

Number of pages: 388
Word Count: 96,000

Cover Artist: Nathalia Suellen

Book Description:

The descendants of the ancient gods think they’ve found peace, but the time has come when new magic and ancient powers will collide…

Stripped of his Dia powers and left to rot, Malcolm is a prisoner of Valenia—a sentence he finds worse than death. His thoughts of revenge are the only thing keeping him sane, but when he finally manages to escape, Malcolm discovers that living as a mortal is more dangerous than he ever imagined. After stealing from the wrong man, Malcolm becomes a captive once more, only this time his punishment is one that he won’t soon forget. His only hope of survival is Seren, an enigmatic young girl with golden eyes and a malevolence to match his own.

When he’s led to Mara and Corbin, the two responsible for his fall from grace, their new faction of Dia is in chaos, infiltrated by an ancient power thought to have been banished forever. This only fuels Malcolm’s ruthless ambitions, but he soon realizes that he too is under attack, a pawn in a centuries old game of power and greed. As new battle lines are drawn, Malcolm finds himself in uncharted waters, forced to choose between helping those he’s vowed to destroy or give in to his lingering desire to settle the score.

Debts will be paid, lives will be lost, and no Dia will ever be the same.


Available at Amazon


Excerpt:

By the time the smell of smoke and roasting meat finally reached Malcolm, and his hole in the ground was completely black, he knew the time was drawing near. The sound of laughter and flutes from above stoked the fires of determination within him, while the repetitive drumbeat counted down the minutes.
His mind wandered as he stared sullenly at the walls of black earth. He clutched his mangled hand to his chest, far too weary for anger. He was humiliated. Over and over again he’d been disgraced, robbed, laughed at. The hardest truth to face was that there still might be more degradation to come. He had wanted everything and succeeded at nothing. Hope was now but a whisper in the past, still carried on the winds, but too distant to hear.

Malcolm pressed his head against the soft earth. He had nothing left to lose and nothing left to love. Even his own mother had become an unseen shadow, abandoning him in his time of need. She was useless to him, as she always had been, and he vowed that if she ever showed herself to him again, he would speak any word that might pierce a mother’s soul.

About the Author:

Tammy Farrell grew up in Orangeville, Ontario Canada where she discovered her love of writing, and all things related to Edgar Allan Poe. She now lives with her husband and six fur babies in Greenville, South Carolina, where she attempts to learn French when she isn’t busy writing.

Learn more about The Dia Chronicles and Tammy Farrell’s other works at:



@tamzwrite


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